The laboratory at the University of Alabama, Huntsville, USA will study sensor materials that illuminate on absorption of electromagnetic or charged particle radiation. Common materials include inorganic crystals, organic plastics and liquids, and lanthanum bromide and chloride scintillators will be the focus of much of the research.

Material that replicates the wing scales of the blue butterfly Morpho peleides was produced by depositing layers of alumina onto the wing structure using atomic layer deposition. The coated scales were heated to crystallise the alumina and burn off the organic skeleton. Potential applications include optical wave guides and splitters.

Launched in January 2007 as part of the Government’s broader National Skills Academy policy, NSAM aims to provide a coherent industry-led framework for training. A central hub in the West Midlands will act as coordinator, working alongside regional advisory groups to identify local industry needs and the current training available.

Researchers at the Universities of Oregon and Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have used a modulated elemental reactant method to synthesise thin nanocrystalline WSe2 structures with the lowest ever recorded thermal conductivities for a fully dense solid. The technology may lead to improved insulation in a number of applications.